This invention relates to chlorine-stable detergent compositions containing nonionic surfactants and to a process for the preparation thereof.
Active chlorine containing compounds such as sodium hypochlorite have been widely used for bleaching fabrics, sterilizing in commercial warewashing, and deodorizing in hard surfaces cleaners. Because solid compounds particularly sodium hypochlorite are unstable and can decompose violently, they are commonly used as an aqueous solution. However, a sodium hypochlorite solution will decompose slowly over a period of time. Addition of a surfactant generally accelerates this decomposition, resulting in loss of stability and efficacy. While some surfactants with enhanced chlorine stability are known, for example. those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,463 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,289 these are all anionic types which are generally high foaming surfactants.
For many applications nonionic surfactants are much more suitable since there are many nonionic surfactants available which are low foaming surfactants. However, heretofore, much difficulty has accompanied the preparation of detergent compositions comprising both an active chlorine-containing compound and a nonionic surfactant because of the interaction which generally occurs between the two. This interaction generally results in discoloration and degradation of the detergent composition with an accompanying loss in the available chlorine content of the composition. Since a nonionic surfactant possesses wetting properties and an active chlorine compound possesses bleaching, cleaning and sanitizing properties, it is desirable to have both compounds present in detergent compositions.
Several attempts have been made to prepare a detergent composition containing both a chlorine compound and a nonionic surfactant but heretofore all have failed for one reason or another. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,916 relates to a process for the preparation of detergent compositions containing an active chlorine compound. Disclosed is the use of a nonionic surfactant in the preparation of the compositions. It has now been found that although detergent compositions containing an active chlorine compound and a nonionic surfactant may be prepared according to the process of this patent, the compositions are not stable with respect to the active chlorine content; that is, within a very short time the starting available chlorine content decreases to such an extent that for all practical purposes the detergent compositions are chlorine-free.
Accordingly it is a purpose of the instant invention to provide a chlorine stable detergent composition containing nonionic surfactant.
______________________________________ Additional Background Patents Patent No. Issued Inventor(s) Assignee ______________________________________ 4,507,219 3/26/85 Hughes P & G 4,438,016 3/20/84 Kiewert Henkel 4,329,247 5/11/82 Parmer PDI Inc. 4,510,067 4/9/85 Ozmeral BASF Wyandotte 3,359,207 12/19/67 Kaneko at el BASF Wyandotte ______________________________________